----------------19th day in Elth----------------
"Yes... The city put a bounty on the beast, first 4 coins but it kept growing. Didn't you know?"
I deny it with a nod.
"Have you anything to prove you killed the griffin?"
I deny it with a nod again.
"Well .... that sucks. Uh,sorry."
-------------------Saw mill--------------------
Thinking back on what I did, I'd rather have gone to the town hall and given the feather. Even so, George said I needed a ...bigger confirmation.
Well, here's finding Lili and not getting caught by Galen. I'd hate to be caught by him looking for a trophy in his woods. Good luck to whoever thinks of that.
Well, today was Saturday. Meaning no day off but tomorrow. Explaining to Floyd why I missed a day's work, he was ecstatic that we could continue working. He said that even though things were dangerous, they had to finish the last order by today, making this the last weekend of work. But I changed the deal, helping the guys keep their jobs.
"Pull this harder, it's slipping, asshole."
"You jackass, watch your tongue."
A couple coworkers were yapping at each other what the other was doing wrong pulling a log up the ramp. I was acting natural as usual.
"Nyx, can you pull it, please?"
"Just leave her alone. He's already been pushing that crank for hours. Now pull!"
"Ok guys. Take a break." Floyd calls. He came out of his 'office' clean despite the fact that he had worked with us this morning. "I'm leaving early today, so I'll just pay you now but you have to finish the wood for tomorrow."
My cut. One silver and...5...10...16 copper coins. But Floyd was out before I could ask why the pay was smaller than before. I didn't get more upset when I saw the others were paid about the same. But I guess the buyer was a cheap shrewd.
"So... anyone want to drink tonight?" Finn asked.
------------------------After job------------------------
That much sawdust had to violate some sanitary rules. Rats and stuff must have nested in it. Thank goodness I got a new wardrobe..Which survived the everyday work but my hair...it was a horror. Silvia pointed it out and told me to brush it in the back. Except that the comb my worried hostess gave me broke in just two moves.
I'm thinking of cutting it off. But does it grow back?
In my hands, I couldn't tell if my hair was genuine or another imitation like the rest of my body. My senses couldn't tell the difference. I just give up. Walking around like a wretch won't make any difference. But it sure will piss off Silvia. Ah...
This woman was nice. Reminds me a little of Leika.
Unknowingly, lost in thought, I was looking directly at George's training target.
"George used it for throwing hatchets just out of boredom, wistful of his time as an adventurer." Silvia remarks the history of the item, sitting in her wheelchair by the door. "You can use it if you want." She says before backing away and retreating inside the house.
With second-hand accuracy, the dagger is plunged into the target, close to the outline drawn on the wood. Next time, the second one plunges into the chest, close to the red circle that would indicate the heart.
Magically yanking back the blades I just ignore the whole idea and step back inside. Silvia was just pushing me, not knowing, to do what Galen wanted. I don't want to fight. I just have to stay hidden until the goddess is reborn. How long that would take is unknow to me. But that's my job. Just that.
Inside the dining room, Silvia was munching on some chestnuts. "'Bored already?" before continuing with her next round of fruit. "Want to play cards?"
I'm was little wondered why the woman was so keen of playing 'cards', but I can't judge. Kara taught me to play when I came across her and Lila playing one night. I guess Silvia must find something to do while living in that chair.
I nod in agreement to her suggestion. I hope she doesn't want to play for money. Lila thought it up back then because I had nothing to play for but housework chores. "The deck's in the basket under the bar." She pointed perfectly. A plain red-backs deck of cards was strung in what I remember was a hair tie. Passing the package to Silvia, she began to scrabble them. "Shall we play something simple? Like Macao?" I nod yes.
She scrabbles five cards to both of us and puts a card down. A 'Q' of red hearts. "You start." But I don't play anything down and just take a card. A '3' of black hearts. Still nothing.
Silvia plays a '10' of the red heart. I continue with a '6'. "Has it been long since you played?" But before I answer she plays down a '6' of the black heart,followed by my '3' of black.
She plays a '3' of diamonds and I take a card. She then drops down a '5' and I pick a card again. But just for her to win with a '10'. "Bad deck eh? Sorry but I win."
Now she was playing as Kara.
"Nyx honey, I know you're just our guest but could you please get my potato sack out of the pantry?" Silvia asked, rolling behind the bar and pointing to a door. "It's just that it's a pain in my butt to open the door from my chair."
Sure. I nod at her.
"And two onions, please."
What about me and these two veggies?!
"Thanks! " says the woman happily, already getting down to work. "I want to make some mashed potatoes and soup. George has to come right away with a goose." she says looking at me. "You never eat anything, do you?"
Again, I nod no.
"Well, how do you function? How do you get your energy." she asks, increasingly curious.
Silvia was just pulling the cat by the tail now. In a last attempt to close the subject I just point at the ceiling.
"The..sun?"
An equally good as any answer I think.
"Ooh hi girls? What are you two up to?" George was coming down the corridor, carrying the basket with so famous duck and a crossbow.
"Nothing, dear. Just making lunch." she said. "But please clean the bird and let it drain." ordered Silvia in a beautiful tone.
"Yes, dear.." cried George softly, perhaps tired from all the hunting and walking. Age was catching up with the old adventurer.
------------------------------------------------------
"So you're saying someone is stealing from you?"
"Well, yeah." a doctor said. "Again, we had a donor. And when I was depositing the blood, I counted the bottles and some were missing."
Both guards looked at each other. And the lieutenant continued. "What about the other doctors. Maybe they needed some containers?"
"But we haven't had an surgery in a week." the doctor said. "It's all recorded in the log. There's names passed but none of us remember the patients."
-------------------------------------------------------
"Yeah..it was this weird girl." said one of the nurses. "She looked like a freak!"
A little worried about the nurse's behavior, the sergeant hoped not to turn the whole case into a racist thing. "What was wrong with her?"
"Well, she was white, but not normal white. Kind of albino but a dirty white. And her eyes were white white. And her lips were gray."
"Did you get a name?"
"Pff I don't remember. Why would I want to talk to someone like that. Ah yes, she was mute."
---------------------------------------------------------
"Sir!"
"Yes, Sergeant?" asks the lieutenant at the appearance of his subordinate.
"One of the nurses said a strange woman had passed this way at least twice. Other says she had a legal identification."
"Name?"
" Some 'Nyx'. She was looking for a Dr. Olsson."
----------------------------------------------------------
Tied to the chair was the so-called Olsson, wearing his doctor's gown and his slippers.
Nervously the lieutenant and sergeant were ready to pry some answers out of him.
"OK! I admit it! This woman came to buy blood!"
"What for?"
"She consumes it! I saw with my own eyes,what a freak,right? Two bottles right here in the room." the doctor cried in fear for his life. "She... last time she was hurt. She boozed, paid and left. I SWEAR!"
For a moment, the sergeant and lieutenant left the doctor with the two guards in the room and went out into the hall. "So this is a strange one. A vampire attacks people at night in the street and buys blood from the hospital during the day." says the sergeant.
"Don't be so quick with your thoughts. This is definitely someone different than the one that's giving us trouble. She can walk the day that's new." continues the lieutenant. "Let's look again over the bestiary we got from the alchemist."
"Right. Maybe we should look the doctor over in more detail?"
"Hm..maybe, but not here. Take him into custody. Maybe he's innocent..maybe not. And check him with some silver. I don't want any loose ends."
---------------------20th day in Elth-----------------------
Sunday was my day off. So I spent a little time doing something productive. All the damage was finished repairing last night, especially my face and fingers. It'll take another dose of blood to make up for my low supplies but I wasn't feeling hungry yet, but better safe than sorry.
Now I was throwing spears at the target behind the inn. Pretty lousy shots. But instincts were beginning to kick in. This wasn't my body, but Kara's long years of training eased my difficulties. I guess I just had to dig out the experience. And then add to it.
I didn't feel like resting last night. My thoughts were racing about what Galen said. As demotivational the idea of someone telling you you're doing it all wrong and doing what they say was right. Am I gonna sit in George's inn all the time? This is getting frustrating with every moment.
One shot hit right in the bull's-eye, two missed completely. The last one hit right in the belly of the contour. "You obviously don't throw them very often." George comments from the doorway. "I could smell the rain in the air and came to see if there were any clothes on the wire. Will you come in or can I join you?"
Yes..my taste and smell were not yet available. But to smell the rain from inside? Slick.
I hand him one of my spears and wait. "First you find the center of balance of the spear. Then you palm down." He continues to teach. I copy and wait. "Then you throw the spear horizontally. Understand? You don't swing it around your shoulder like throwing an axe. You just push it." he says, following up with a perfect throw in the center of the target. "Now you do it."
Okay, okay...a little past center. And...throw!
The tip of the spear hits the target but does not penetrate and just falls down.
"Okay...well...hold the tip a little lower and throw a little higher. And swing your hips. Like in fighting, you've got a lot of core strength for almost any kind of movement. Use it for this as well."
Magically forcing the spear George threw back into my hand, I repeat. This time I hit the target a little off center, but George and I could see that it went in at a good and somewhat deep angle. "Much better. But still, cool spell you got there. Reminds me of that spell, the magic hand. Is that what you use?"
I shrug, not knowing what spell George was talking about. I force pull the rest of the spears and place them back in the scabbard. The one stuck in the target came out harder, but slipped out smooth as well after a harder try .
"I've utilized plenty of weapons in my time, but ultimately favor a sword and occasionally a shield." he stops speaking for a few second before. "How's your footwork? Is your fighting any good?" George asks, somehow getting from the instruction to throw spears to combat. "What? Just curious." he says noticing my look of discomfort. "Look...just...never mind." he says a little disappointed before turning and walking away.
But I stop him, tapping him on the shoulder. A little hard.
"Ohohoh...I see you're in the mood for a scuffle, eh?" He raises his guard and they do the same. "Before you hit me, I know how strong you are. So let's stick to wrestling, okay? I can't lose a tooth or an eye fighting a boulder." he sneers.
A boulder? Is he calling me fat?... douche. I think about the slight remark and smile in response. And after I attack, I try to grab George's left hand but he spins around and slams into me, pushing me two feet back."You're...really heavy." he says but I don't let go of the position I'm in. But he says something after I squeeze him a little."Ok. Okay, I surrender." and I let go, letting him snore again. "Poof...I think..I could win..if I had a sledgehammer for a weapon." he says between deep breaths. But after the last syllable of the sentence his hand moves quickly, and flicks me across the nose. "But you're a little sluggish." he says, followed by a short barrage of light blows, otherwise George would surely be left with bad bruises or broken fingers. I try to catch him again, but he moves well for his age.
He lands a boot kick over my left shin but to no effect. I move to hit him over the back with my right forearm but he dodges, simultaneously making me lose my balance by pushing against my sole. My fall was more loud than it hurt. "Usually women warriors are faster than men, but with you it's the other way around."
Pff... you have no idea how upside down I am, George.
"But...I guess it all comes down to your constitution. You're a rock. Must be the main factor." he says and sits down on the inn bench by the door. " Best way for you to fight, cripple your enemy and keep fighting."
Now I was sitting on my ass on the ground in the courtyard. George was telling the truth. Kara was faster than both of us. Hard to believe the duke and Harry were pushing her around as they pleased.
"Darling! We have some people in front." Silvia said from somewhere inside.
"Hah...well, what do you know. Maybe this is a good day to make money." he gets up and enters the inn, but not before turning to me. "Rain's coming. Don't get my floors dirty."
------------------------------------------------------
Sitting at a table serving tea were Antoni, Elth's city hall office worker, and Lieutenant Fergus, charged with solving a mess that had been roaming the city at night for the past week.
"Now, my boy Antoni. I'm looking for someone for whom you've issued an identity papers." said the somewhat passive-aggressively passive-aggressive lieutenant.
"Eh..yes..who?" He swallowed a mouthful of tea before finishing.
"A woman, someone unfamiliar. Nyx is her name. You think she's still in town?"
The memory of the somewhat strange but attractive woman hit Antoni over the brain like a brick. "She...should...not long alter she arrived in the city she's found work someplace to work."
"She showed up on business hours, right?"
"Yes, sir."
So she has no trouble walking outside during the day. Or maybe she just avoids the sun all that well? But that doesn't fit with what the nurses were saying. But it fits another profile in bestiary. A daywalker. A second kind of vampire. Born of turned women where the infant was still human but later born different. But it doesn't fit the original M.O!
"I need everything you've got on her. That...is an order. And I hope I don't have to make it clear that the whole situation is discreet, yes?" he says, dropping the friendly tone.
With a downcast look that he has to break the rules his boss dictated... "Yes, sir."
--------------------------------------------------
"Caden.. hi..haven't seen you for a while." George said.
"Yeah...well...I've switched to the night shift and got moved at the east gate, I just haven't been around much. Listen. My sergeant's outside. I told him I know you and I vouched for you. Don't screw up and do as he says."
George doesn't get a chance to say anything until Caden opens the door and confirms to whoever is outside that they can come in. "Hello George. My name's Kason, sergeant in the city guard."
"Pleasure to meet you sergeant, sir," George replies, standing on his toes for any possible trouble he might be in. Taxes maybe?
"My superior and I...are looking for someone. A female. Tall, dark hair and pale skin."
Well, if George's calm aura wasn't invisible, everyone might've seen the stress exploding straight out of him. Yet he still said nothing. "How can she be of help?" he finally cracked.
"She's a person of interest in one of our investigations. I talked to her boss...and while I've heard nothing but good things from him and her colleagues, she must come with us." Kasen said.
George gave a quick look to Caden, to what he gave a quick raise of his eyebrows as a signal that now was the time to do as he was asked. "And what do you have against me?"
"Nothing honestly, unless you and her are making trouble together. This is an inn. A simple business and you're the owner. She comes with us and we leave, nothing else."
"I don't force anyone to do anything." But a quick knee to shut up stops his tongue. "She's in the back."